After years of chaos, addiction, trauma, violence, and self-destruction, Euphoria finally came to an end. And somehow, despite everything this show has put us through, nothing hit harder than losing Rue Bennett. For a long time, Rue was one of the most frustrating characters on television. We watched her lie, relapse, hurt the people who loved her, and continuously sabotage herself. But this final season changed that. For the first time, we genuinely saw Rue wanting a future. Not just sobriety. Not just survival.
She wanted a life.
A family.
Marriage.
Children.
Peace.
And that’s exactly why her death hurt so much.
After everything she went through with Laurie, Alamo, the DEA setup, and risking her life to recover the IDs, it genuinely felt like Rue was finally moving toward something better. Instead, Alamo had already decided she couldn’t be trusted. After learning she had mentioned the DEA and suspecting she was working against him, he handed her what appeared to be Percocet as a reward and a way to “relax.” He even took one himself so she would trust him.
But the pills were laced with fentanyl.
Rue went back believing she was safe. She never realized she had already been sentenced to death.
The way the show handled her final moments was devastating. Instead of a dramatic overdose scene, it felt dreamlike and peaceful. Rue imagined reuniting with people she loved, including memories of her father and Fez, before finally seeing her mother again.
What made it worse was that Rue had finally become someone viewers were rooting for again. Earlier seasons focused heavily on her addiction and destruction. This season showed her trying to build a future. We finally saw hope.
Then it was taken away.
Ali discovering her body was one of the hardest scenes in the episode. When he realized the pills were fentanyl-laced, the grief immediately turned into rage.
And honestly?
Alamo had it coming.
For an entire season, Alamo operated like he was untouchable. He manipulated everyone around him, terrorized women, murdered people, and constantly used fear as currency. The reveal that Angel was most likely one of his victims felt confirmed when her driver’s license was discovered among his possessions. It was one of those moments where the show basically stopped pretending there was any innocence left in him.
I love you, Rue. pic.twitter.com/BhUwaIyLpg
— euphoria (@euphoriaHBO) June 1, 2026
So watching Ali walk into that final confrontation felt satisfying in a way Euphoria rarely allows itself to be.
What made the scene even better was Bishop’s betrayal. The guy who had been quietly observing everything finally made his choice and secretly removed the bullets from Alamo’s gun before the showdown. When Ali confronted him, Alamo suddenly wasn’t the powerful kingpin he thought he was anymore. He was just another coward without control. Ali finally killed him and ended the nightmare.
That wasn’t the only major death.
Nate’s fate had already been sealed in Episode 7. After getting dragged deeper into debt and violence, he ended up buried alive by Naz’s crew. Cassie and Maddy tried to save him, but it was too late. By the time they got to him, a rattlesnake had gotten into the coffin and fatally bitten him. One of the show’s most important characters died in one of the most horrifying ways imaginable. Cassie’s storyline surprised me the most.
I expected her to completely fall apart after Nate’s death. Instead, we got a version of Cassie that finally seemed exhausted by all the destruction. Seeing her and Maddy coexist again felt strange but weirdly comforting. After years of fighting over Nate, they were finally dealing with the aftermath together.
One line that stayed with me was when Cassie talked about Rue’s smile and how you can tell a lot about a person from the way they smile. It was simple, but it perfectly captured how everyone viewed Rue after she was gone. Not as an addict. Not as a problem.
As a person.
As someone they loved.
One thing I wish the finale gave us more of was Leslie. Rue’s mom spent the entire series trying to save her daughter. Seeing so little of her reaction felt heartbreaking. Nika King’s performance has always been one of the emotional foundations of Euphoria, and I wanted more time with that grief.
The Fez tribute also hit hard.
The finale included references to Fez after reports surfaced that he had escaped prison, leading Rue to remember her promise to him and think back to their friendship. It was one of the show’s clearest tributes to Angus Cloud and felt like Euphoria acknowledging one of the characters who always cared about Rue without asking for anything in return. The ending scene completely destroyed me.
Ali returns to the Christian community near the Mexican border, the same place where Rue experienced one of the few moments of genuine peace in her life. He sits down with them for dinner and imagines Rue there. For a moment, everything feels calm. No drugs. No violence. No running.
Just peace. That’s why this ending hurts.
Not because Rue died.
But because she had finally started believing she deserved to live.
After years of watching her destroy herself, we finally saw her imagine a future.
And Euphoria took it away the second she reached for it.
Whether people loved or hated this finale, one thing is undeniable.
Rue Bennett’s death will be remembered as one of the most heartbreaking endings HBO has ever put on screen.